Bill Gates’ patent application, and other items of note

I’m off for a couple of days this week, back Thursday. In the meantime, these items caught my attention online and in a scan of my e-mail this morning.

Some guy named William H. Gates III of Medina is listed as one of the inventors in a Microsoft patent application that was recently made public. It describes how a points-based system could be used to, among other things, figure out whether people who click on ads actually end up doing business with the advertisers. It’s one in a series of related patent applications by the company, as detailed by Bill Slawski on the SEO by the Sea blog. (Thanks to Jerry for pointing that one out.)

MTV’s alliance with RealNetworks, announced yesterday, is a blow to Microsoft, which launched the “URGE” music service with MTV last year, inside Windows Media Player. This quote from Van Toffler, MTV music president, speaks volumes: “We are in discussions with Microsoft now and will be on Windows Media Player 11 until further notice,” Toffler said when asked about URGE’s future, Ars Technica reports.

Former Microsoftie Jeff Yee explains why he left the company for Redfin, the online real-estate start-up. In the process, he offers perspectives on life inside Microsoft. For example: “Legitimate questions often got defensive responses. To paraphrase one developer, ‘Why are these responses always along the lines of, “We know what we’re doing”? Personally, I’d welcome the feedback, because that’s how I’ll improve. Why can’t you provide the reasons that led to your decision?’ I couldn’t have agreed more.”

Today’s paper brings news of a remarkable Seattle-area burglary, with a technology related twist: Reports the P-I’s Casey McNerthney: “Apple software has a reputation for being hard to hack. But apparently the Apple Store at University Village is another matter, as burglars who gained entry through the ceiling found out this week.”